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Note, when I think of a Paladin, I think of exemplars of good: people who do or try to do the right thing above all else. If the kid is playing an evil or unaligned Paladin, then I can revise my list for you. Another thing, I don't exactly see a Paladin as a champion of a god, deity or concept that isn't Good, so that colors my perceptions a bit.

Karl "Helo" Agathon from the reimagined Battlestar Galactica- jimthegray is right. While I would classify Apollo as Lawful Good most of the time (the characters in Battlestar have ephemeral alignments), he has a few flaws that prevent him from achieving paladinhood. Helo, on the other hand, is an upstanding, dutiful soldier, a loving father and husband and someone who is always committed to doing the right thing, no matter what. The man doesn't leave anyone behind, fights to defend those in need and has acted as Galactica's conscience. He managed to prevent mankind from committing genocide, he's stood up to both Adama and Roslin when they've tried to (or have) pulled unethical crap and he doesn't back down from anyone and he even gave up his seat on his Raptor to allow more people to leave Caprica in the miniseries (granted, it was for Gaius Baltar, but come on, he didn't know Baltar yet). Helo is compassionate and loving, but he can be intimidating and as scary as Hell, just like any Paladin. Check out the episode "Rapture" in the third season. That death stare he gives the president is perfect.

Parn the Free Knight from the Record of Lodoss War- Parn, once he stops being ineffectual, dedicates his life to protecting all of Lodoss from the darkness. While his actual class is a Fighter, he acts just like a Paladin should: selflessly protecting all of the people of Lodoss. He doesn't tie himself to one kingdom and he doesn't discriminate. He helps people as best he can.

Angel from Angel: the Series- Angel is, for the most part, an upstanding man who has dedicated his life to atoning for his sins as Angelus by saving the souls of people, helping the helpless and protecting the world. He's fallen on a couple of occasions (season 2 and as part of a ploy in season 5), but he's always earned back his paladin status. Look at how he never gives up on Faith even though everyone else in the Buffyverse ever has given up on her. It's because of him, she can find redemption. The man will sacrifice anything to better society, including his own destiny (and thus the possibility of ever being truly happy ever again). Also, the dude routinely kicks demon ass. That's straight up Paladinhood right there.

The Grooslaug from Angel: the Series- Groo is kind of like what Angel would be if Angel was kind of dumb. Self sacrificing, noble and caring, I mean just look at how he leaves the show in season 3. Still, his personality is really just a good Paladin-esque template. He's kind of a fish out of water type and, like I said, he's kind of dumb.

Batman from Batman the Animated Series/Justice League/Justice League Unlimited- More than even Superman (in the context of the DCAU), Batman is the pinnacle of morality. He doesn't compromise his principals, he never gives up on people and in a choice between doing two evils, he always find a third option. Always. Check out the episode of Justice League Unlimited "Epilogue," where he's given a situation where he has to kill a teenager who's dying of a brain aneurysm because her powers are psionic in nature (and because she's very, very ****** off at the government entity that gave her her powers, which led to the aneurysm), and the aneurysm will cause severe psionic backlash and kill a city. Batman manages to prevent all of this just by holding her hand and staying with her until she died. That's right: by being a compassionate soul and easing the pain of a dying girl by just giving her some comfort as she died, he prevented her powers from going nova. That's what a Paladin would do.

Personally, I'd consider Buzz more a Paladin that Woody. For some reason, Woody strikes me as a ranger.

WhiteHarness wrote:

I'll second the nomination of Optimus Prime.

Thirded. Not just as an example of a Paladin, but also the epitome of (correctly played) Lawful Good

Most of my favourite Paladins were mentioned already

• Sir Gawain and Sir Galahad from Arthurian Legend (Sir Lancelot was hardly a paladin, he was a cocky brute at best)

• Superman (though it depends on who is writing him at the time)

• Sturm Brightblade from Dragonlance

• Parn from Record of the Lodoss Wars

• The Nameless One (Nanashi) from Sword of the Stranger

• Agrias Oaks and Cidolfas Orlandu from FFT1, but any Holy Swordsman class from the FF series will do

• Cloud from FF7

• Leonardo from TMNT

Since "Holy Knight" is a broad concept, most "knights" from TV/Cartoon/Movies will function as a Paladin of sorts.

In Anime, Noble Samurai serve to fill the same archetype.